Bittersweet Symphony
by Molize
Summary: Set after 2x15. Chuck leaves to Europe after Blair dismises him. He needs help with the way his life has become and find help in old friends. Blair is not as done as she said to Chuck, her life is falling in pieces and old problems resurfaces.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hi everyone! Here is my first fanfic ever, so I will thank everyone who review this story and leave his/her true opinion about it but... you know, don't broke my heart during the process ^^. I'm not from Great Britain , USA, Canada or any other country whose first language is English, so if you see any mistake I'd like to know it or even better, have a BETA.

I don't own anything related to GG, trade marks, songs included or whatever you recognize in this fanfic.

So... Thanks for reading, enjoy and leave a comment! Kisses. Molize

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**Prologue**

_··· Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life, trying make ends meet you're a slave to money then you die... ··· _

_Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve_

_So... that's it? This is how life works? When you think your life couldn't get any worse it shows you what a bitch is..._ Chuck thought while lounged in his couch in 1812, scotch in hand. The suite was dark, blinds down in every window and lights turned off. If someone entered they'll thought the young Bass was away and that was exactly what he expected. He wanted to be alone, well... it was difficult to explain... things where complicated so hiding was a good solution to avoid them, and hiding alone is less suspicious; but in the other hand, he had spent the last three months alone (.) and thinking-scotch-get drunk was in the menu.

Everybody knows everything can get worse, at least it's said in Murphy's Law... but _so so_ worse? Putting in order his recent memories from the last two years his life was an example of up's and down's. A boring beginning of junior year. Nate and Serena's secret discovered. Victrola's project. Bart's think is a bad idea. Nate and Blair break up. Blair comes to Victrola. Dance for me. I see _her_. Damn fluttering stomach. An _amazing_ ride home. Blair wants Nate. Anger. Nate comes to me. Guilt. Nate needs her. More anger. Blair's B-Day. I like her. She doesn't. Jealousy. Nate doesn't show up. Blair sad. Guilt. Give a present never ever make a night sooo good. Secret affair. Nate and Blair as _friends_. I see red. I screw up everything. _Boom_. Loose Blair. Scarlet red. GG blast. _Boom_. Nate hates me. Blair now comes to me. Ha. Blackhole. Van der Basses. Fine with Lily. Really good with Eric. Really funny with S. Bart thinks I'm not good for them... as always. Weeding. Things with Nate and Blair gets good. Fear. Loose Blair again. Fight for her, fight for her, fight for her. Say _you_ really love me... why not_ you_? Why not _both_? _We_ can. Flirt. Everything goes... fine, even with Bart...

And then the atomic bomb... _Bart's been an accident_. When you fight for something or someone and you loose it, it's hard, but that possibility is always in mind. When you loose someone that you thought as granted you simply are lost. _What do you do now? _Bart, his father, was someone granted. Ok, maybe his relationship wasn't the best between a father and his son. Sometimes Chuck felt as if he was a temp in Bass Industries, but at least it was something. He had killed her mother, the love of his father life, so in one way or another he could understand why Bart was like he was.

That night, the Snowflake Ball Night, he felt as a murdered. Yeah, a murdered. Because of his phone call, his father was coming to the ball to talk to Lily, and in this ride he died. It was easy to make the connections. He was not only his mother murdered but his father too. _Great_. And that made him realize something: I love someone, they die. He loved his parents (in an odd way, but yeah)... they die. So what then? He loved his friends (friendship way, of course), and Blair... what if he loved Blair? She will disappear from his life too?

Solution: being alone. Before Bart's funeral he had spent his time alone with some boxes with bottles of scotch but this wasn't enough... they could find him, she could find him... and they did, she did. She wanted to stand by him through anything. _Why?_ Because she loved him. And that was the worst response she could have given to him. She loved him and how could not love her? He loved her and needed her. After a moment of weakness he had to dissipate and so he did... In her eyes like a coward but don't they say when you love someone you have to let it go?

And where did he go? Thailand. He planned the destination but everything which continued his adventure was a blur. Exactly his point. He didn't want to feel. Then, _he_ came. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe the sensation that there was someone else in his family, but he accepted to come back to NYC. _For what? A trap_. His beloved uncle, Jack, who lived in Australia and he hadn't seen since forever came back to support his beloved nephew. It was like a bad cheesy film, however it didn't end in a good way. He had begun to rebuilt his life with his friends and even with Blair when the manipulative Basstard poisoned him with girls, drugs, drinks and whatever was a temptation in his yet weak moment because Jack wanted what he didn't. Bass Industries. He could have asked, played nicely, but no... Jack wanted the board members see what his nephew was in that moment and he succeed. What more he could lost? Let's see... In his list were family and his father's enterprise already, now he could add the damn Jackass (but, who wanted him?) and of course... Blair, this time definitely, because _he_ hadn't let her go, she said _she_ was done.

What was left? Money, money and equal amount of time. Chuck sat up slowly, his head was going to explode and left a long sigh.

"Well..." Chuck said as he left his empty glass on the coffee table. "You never have what you want when you want." Now he had two options, let it be, what it's done is done; or amend it, at least try to amend it. As he was analyzing the question in hand, his cell phone buzzed on the bar table.

"What the hell? A poltergeist?" At first he ignored all the calls, then he turned it off, but due to he has to make some call decided that the best thing was to put on automatic ignoring all the phone numbers of everyone who could call or leave a message to him, but actually, now that he thought about it... who will want to call? So this apparently text message was a surprise.

He approached the bar and sat up on a stool, his legs did not respond too well. "Why take risk and broke my head now that things get interesting?" Chuck said sardonically as he stretched his hand to his now silent phone. _I could ignore it as everything else but curiosity kills me_. Chuck thought.

"And the winner is..." Chuck stared confused at the author's name. _What a beginners mistake_. Chuck has always spent a great amount of time traveling around the world when problems arrived or he was simply bored, and in these little adventures he had met a lot of people who, of course, was in his agenda. Although he had not dignified to ignore those phone numbers because obviously they weren't people who would care enough to call, he has left one key number. While in New York everyone was involved in his problems direct or indirectly, there, at the other side of the Atlantic ocean, in neutral zone, maybe she could be a good help to decide which one of his options was the right one if even there was a right one. _First, open the message and then decide... who knows? Perhaps she hates me too_. That's what he did, opened it.

_Hey! I heard about your father... and Jack. I couldn't make it 4 the funeral._

_I called u, e-mailed u and no response._

_This is my last try, 4 now. _

_Please, answer me. Call home. We're worried about u._

_-K_

"Call home. We're worried about you." Chuck repeated. _These are the best words I heard in a while_. He thought with a sad smile, if he hadn't ignored the other calls while he was is Thailand, he could have remembered more, that was an installment. "I tried Asia, I'm in America, a trip to Europe seems great in this living hell." Home. He has lost it too. _That home she refers is not mine but it always has been a nice place_. He look for the number phone he wanted and dialed.

At the second tone, his call was answered. Chuck sighed and talked. "Hey."

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Here is the prologue... It's a bit slow, I know... Chuck was alone so it couldn't have a lot of dialogue. This is a **Chuck and Blair fanfic** so don't worry about that **K** (K is not for Katy... is someone completely mine) and I hope you will like her and "them", remember "**we**'re worried about you".

I plan, at first, due to Chuck will travel to Europe, write half chapter Blair and the other half Chuck, but maybe the first chapter will be also only Chuck... I'm not sure, what do you think? Obviously there will not be interaction between them in the beginning but they're will be in their conversations A LOT.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Here you are the first chapter and as I said, I have decided to insert a little bit of Blair. It's really cool how many people have put this story is his/her story alert, so I hope I would not disappoint you. As always I don't own anything.

Thanks for reading, enjoy and leave a comment! Kisses. Molize

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**Chapter 1**

"Hey" Chuck said after a few seconds of silence. He waited for her outburst, if there was something she was characterized for it was her nerve. But the silence continued and then it hit him: he wasn't calling to her cell phone but her house, what if the old man had picked the phone? _That's even worse_. If something worried his little Kay (even when she wasn't a naïve girl anymore, actually... she had never been that), an angry Franz Soucek was the answer.

"Kay?" _Damn, nick names in this moment were a bad idea_. "Kathryn?"

He heard a gasp. "Chuck? God... is that you?" She answered in a pitched tone of disbelief. _At least she's not mad_.

"Even Charles is right for me, I think call me God is too much." He tried to make this awkward moment a bit easier.

"Son of a..." _Great. I need to practice more_. "Are you fucking kidding me? We discover you're father is dead, try to contact you, you disappear, and two months after when I send you a damn simply text message, you call me back and make a fucking joke?" He could heard as she took a long breath.

"Ok, calm down..."

"Oh, you have no idea how calm I am." She replied sardonically.

"Kat, look... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, now call me Kat." He catch as she muttered.

"I am really _really_ sorry. I didn't respond to your calls because I couldn't, not to you... not to anybody. I hoped you understood me. If nobody, you're the one who can understand me." He almost pleaded, _almost_ because he was Chuck Bass and _almost_ because he needed someone.

She sighed. "You know perfectly that I do." Her voice was calmer. "But what I don't get, Chuck, is why not a week ago? You were in New York by then. You could have left a message at least."

"I know, actually... I don't know, the situation here got worse thanks to that..." He trailed off as anger overcame him.

"Jack?" Chuck left a harsh breath. "Jack" She confirmed.

"Look, I-I can't... everyth-everyone is..." He could not form the words; rage and desperation were in his voice.

"Ok, ok, you should come." She interrupted instantly.

"What? Is that right?" He was relieved for the offer but Chuck knew her since forever and appear suddenly there maybe wasn't the best of the ideas.

"If you're actually asking that, you shouldn't come... you _must_ come, right now. I'm spending the week at the country house, so I'll make sure you have your room and I'll arrange your flight... when would you be ready?"

"I'm always ready." He replied smirking.

"Yeah, I guess..." She chuckled softly. "I'll leave you a message. Don't worry. Everything will go alright, sooner or later. Trust me."

"As positive as always..."

"Like my last pregnancy test..." She said in a pensative tone.

_What?!!! Did he hear right? _He thought as silence flooded their telephone line.

"Just kiding!" He could hear her laughing. "Where did the humour go?" _She is like a child_. "Don't be mad at me. If you use your bad jokes at moments like that I can do that even better..." She continued in darker tone. "I'm leaving! Be ready! See you! Ciao!" And just like that she hang up.

A conversation with her was like a boxing fight, you had to control where her punches where coming from. Now all was established it was his turn of packing.

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**Gossip Girl here. We are having a lot of drama from our Upper East Siders and a lot of gossip was in my inbox today. As soon as our favorite Bass had become the richest teenager in Manhattan and a brunch was hosted at Bass Industries thanks to the lovely Queen B, he acted as the black family sheep we all know he is and lost the company. New Guinness' Record! But don't worry C, working at seventeen wouldn't have been fun at all. However my post don't end here. It seems B was pretty mad at him, he even got hydrangeas for her, but as he went to her penthouse with said beautiful flowers he came back with them in hand. Aww... what did he do to you B? Your brunch didn't go as expected? He broke the rules of your little games?. You know you love me. XOXO. Gossip Girl.**

_Great. Just great_. She tried to convince herself. Blair was lounged at her enormous bed, wrapped in her silken sheets reading her new text message. She thought that maybe, just maybe, who had sent it was another person, a boy, a brunette, with a constant smirk in his face... but no, it was just GG. _I'm glad it was her_. _I don't want him to try make contact with me. I said I was... I mean... I AM done. For God's Sake._

However, she was lying to herself. Of course, she had had enough. First, after two months of no signs of his whereabouts Chuck appears semiconscious and carried by his uncle, came to St. Jude's high and smoked hash before Headmistress Queller when she was talking to her about the special circumstances in Chuck's life that affecter his behaviour. He felt bad, ok, it was something she could understood, but why he wanted so desperately to be alone and do what he was doing to himself when it was obviously bad and what scared her most, he was... how could you say it? "disappearing" in front of her... yeah, he was there, but when she looked at his eyes there was nothing, no feelings, whichever could have (fear, hate, rage, hurt...), nothing!

She was going through a rough time dealing with Yale (or no-Yale), that miserable new English teacher, and of course, what happened during the vacations (including New Years Eve) and then... Chuck came back, and not as a hope that everything will turn right eventually, because he wasn't a light in the path, he was another hole, a big one. She had opened her heart, because he needed her or at least she thought he needed her, and she needed him too. Their relationship has been a roller coaster but though they were not a couple or hadn't expressed their mutual feelings for each other then, she wanted him to know that she would be with him through anything... and why? It was easy, the selfless reason was because she loved him. Yeah, she _loved_ him. And what did he do? He said he loved her too? No. He took her hand and they left together? No. He said thank you? Fuck, no. He said "that's too bad"? What the hell that even means? He doesn't love her? She's not enough for him?

"Chuck don't love anyone, why would I be any different?" She said as tears began to former in the corner of her eyes. She dropped the phone on her nightstand and cover her head with the blue sheets. For sometime she had thought that if her relationship with Nate didn't end well it was because they weren't mean to be. Nate was the Prince Charming every girl dreamed but that was all... there was not chemistry. Instead, with Chuck, it was another world, there was fire, sparks, passion... Blair was anymore with Prince Charming but she hadn't forget about her adored fairytales, she had created another one: she was the lovely princess and Chuck a dark prince... their love was so much pure that they could have their happily ever after. How could this happened if there wasn't a mutual love? He hadn't said he doesn't love her but she catch the hints: he didn't say an I love you too, he left, he humiliated her in front of Headmistress Queller and the board members and then, he used the word wife as it was the ugliest word in the word.

Blair began to hyperventilate, her sheets were asphyxiating her. _It's too much, it's too much_.

Then Chuck went to her penthouse and said he has screwed everything up, and it was true... and it infuriated her that he thought a simple excuse an a bouquet of her favorite flowers were enough. She said it. She was done. She needed to save herself, be selfish because it was destroying her. Why she felt those words weren't the cure but the disease? Did she give up easily? He had lost his father and his company, not his limo or his suite.

She repeated the same mantra. "Save myself. Save myself." Blair's murmurs were interrupted by her vibrating cell phone. "Just a sign that he's right and I could take care of myself, please." She begged with closed eyes as she reached for her phone.

**Gossip Girl here. A few hours have past since my last post but I really needed to tell this. Spoted: Chuck Bass taking a private flight late in the night and alone. Accurate resources from the airport (thanks Annie89) informs us that it was not the Bass Jet, but another one whose owner had something like an East European name... maybe in his womanizer years C met someone there (you know what I mean saying _met_). The best part: his destination was... drummers please... England!!! What? Really boring, C? England in February is not the best place to have fun. Maybe he's planning to begin a new life, and what is better than a place near where they make your favorite booze? I would like to know what B thinks. XOXO Gossip Girl. **

"Great" Blair said as tears began to fall. She dropped the phone to the floor and ran to her bathroom slaming the door shut.

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What do you think???

About this week episode (3x02) I have to say that it was even better than the season's premiere, at least more interesting... I know people were a little disappointed because there wasn't too much CB but, you know, when you start college you need some time to assimilate the college experience... even so, last scene was sooo cute. We are discovering the new "hate" relationship: Chuck/Serena and Blair/Dan/Vanessa (Carter and Georgina don't count because they'll go away). And new lonely boy... Nate!!! This character is really done.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm so so so so so so sorry for the wait, but I started college this month and the classes, the dorms, the city and everything it's new to me... I've been really busy. I'm so happy that at least a few of you liked this story and have put it on alert. I haven't written in a while but I have the story in mind, I'm not going to forget about it.

Thanks for reading, enjoy and leave reviews! Kisses. Molize

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**Chapter 2**

Blair slamed the bathroom door as her tears fall freely over her cheeks. She had contained herself too much. Maintain her façade for weeks when he had come back almost destroying himself had been really hard. When he began to be the way she loved (why negate that she loved him) she started to think everything would eventually turn right, so those walls that Blair had built became weaker. Then his misstep, his enormous misstep at the brunch, make everything explode. As her walls became weaker so was she.

Now, not only she felt brokenhearted, now was even worse... she felt guilty. When he came at her penthouse that afternoon, she was tired of been his support when all he was doing was troubling himself. Blair wanted to rest, but she had never thought this was turning the way it did. Chuck had gone again... The worst part was that she thought that this trip was not as the first... When he traveled to Thailand he lost himself but, now what? He went to do the same? Then why he didn't use his plane? Why he went with someone else? Who this person was? There were too many questions.

Blair stood in front of her vanity and looked at her reflection. She said that Chuck didn't seem the same when he arrived from Bangkok... right now, she was the unrecognizable one. Her eyes were red of crying, her make up and hair were a mess, her clothes were wrinkled... Her eyes watered looking at herself, that person in the mirror wasn't her.

She remembered how all these years she had tried to be the image of perfection: the perfect girlfriend to Nate, the perfect daughter to her mother and the perfect Queen B. As much as she liked to be seen as that ethereal Queen, it always felt forced... When she started her relationship (or whatever it had been) with Chuck, she felt like she was more perfect than ever, no... not perfect... special... everyone told her at that time that she was like glowing, even Nate noticed that. When problems began between them, even if he didn't say he loved her, she was powerful because at least he was around there and clearly Chuck desired her.

Now what? She hadn't a boyfriend, her mother was in her honeymoon with Cyrus, she was not a Queen anymore, and she may be the catalysis of Chuck's departure. She had no reason to be perfect. Why when she had fought so much for him she had to give up?

Blair turned her back to the mirror and her vision was instantly focused in the white porcelain of her bathroom. She needed to control her breathing, she needed to control herself, she knew what would happen if she didn't do that.

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The flight had gone perfectly fine, however it was one of the most boring he had had. Apparently, dear Kathryn had instructed all the stuff to retire any alcoholic drink the jet had and a flying attendant never stopped for a second watching every move he made. The seat belt light was lighting, it was the sign he had been waiting for six long hours. As she said in her last text message, Kathryn would be waiting for him at the Manchester Airport and then they would go by car to her family country house. She was spending this week there, so was he, but he wasn't sure who else would be there too.

The flight landed, and the annoying flying attendant gave him a sweet smile. _Like I had no idea what was she doing all the time... _As predicted, the weather was really similar to New York's in this time of the year, a constant gray sky, really matching the way he felt.

He walked to the airport installations. Private flights' passengers were guided to separated rooms. Chuck saw a pair of crystal doors in which was written the name "Soucek": this was their waiting room. The doors opened when he passed by, the room was barely decorated but at least you could see the difference between this and a regular airport. At the left there were various sofas and there she was... Kathryn.

Kat was lounged comfortably in a black leather sofa focused reading a magazine. Chuck could see a few changes in her appearance since the last time they met. Her hair now was shorter (cut at her shoulders), with new bangs and coiffed iron straight; the color was the same: her natural cooper brown, something between brown, red and blond; however, he could see the blond striped dyed locks which seemed like feathers disposed in the inner levels of her hair. She wore what obviously seemed her high school uniform (Chuck never has seen it before): a plain blue and gray pleated skirt cut at mid-tight, white shirt, navy blue jacket with St. Patrick's anagram, turquoise tie, light gray boots and a white and silver long strap tied as headband which ends felt to her back.

The tap of his shoes awoke Kathryn from her revery. She half smiled, left her magazine, stood up, walked to him with a soft smile upon her face and then as the most natural thing in the world... she hugged him. Chuck felt a bit taken aback for her welcome but a few seconds after he relaxed into her familiar embrace. _We're worried about you_, he remembered. He felt as her arms ran softly up and down his back and could smell her essence... berries. It was like a remnant of childhood.

_Long time not feeling something like this_. Chuck thought sadly as Kathryn began to pull away.

"Hey." She said staring directly at him with her big green eyes. "Long time not see you, buddy." It's said that the eyes are one of the most important parts of a person. Chuck personally liked to analyze them. There were a few people whose eyes were really difficult to do that, and hers were one of them. It seemed they could break through you so easily that it was scary, and then... they were sweet, yeah... but at the same time impossible to read. They were so enticing that it was difficult to not look at. _Obviously_, _it's her maternal inheritance._

"Indeed." Chuck looked her up and down. "By the way, nice costume... and nice..." He pretended he couldn't define her new style as he reached to touch lightly her hair.

"What?" She continued looking questioningly to Chuck. "Don't you like it?" Then she fixed her hair.

"Well... It's... different, but suits you." He assured her. "Not something for a common girl."

"It's been a while since I was something near that." She answered happily. _A while._ Chuck thought. There was a lot of sadness in that statement even when she hid it so well.

"You'd never been that, Kat." Chuck stated. "You're as special as always, you won't never change that of you." Saying things like that were unusual for him, but today... to her... were a bit easier. _Why? Who knows..._

"Sure." She muttered as her eyes went down. "How are you?" She asked as she focused on him. Her tactic was simple... when you wanted to stop centering the conversation on you, just turn it around... At this moment he felt it like a low blow but actually, hasn't he run away from the states because everything has screwed up?

"I screwed everything... I lost everything... everyone..." He responded sadly. This time he could make the sentences flow, not as in their previous phone call. After the flight he should recognize that he felt better, being miles away his problems seemed a bit, just a little bit, far away.

Kat touched reassuringly his arm and he continued. "I wanted to runaway, you know? I don't know where, but faraway... really faraway." He said looking into her eyes. "Just oblivious of this mess... so when you texted me... it was like a sign."

"I'm glad you came. And if you wanted to go away... I'm happy you decided to come. It's... really mature." She said firmly.

Chuck chuckled at her comment. "Mature? I would have say coward..."

"No! I'm serious!" Kat said angrily, her eyes as knives. "Here, you're problems are the same as in New York, distance doesn't amend it, that's obvious... but it gives you time if you need it, and I know you need it." Now her voice was softer. "And it's _mature_ that you decided to come here where there is people who cares about you and are going to make sure you're okay, because as I said, distance doesn't make things go away, but if you need people not involved in them, here we are... here _I_ am."

Chuck looked down. "Probably I should take it back ,but... I'm glad you're here and not in Manhattan. At this time you would have hated me."

"So take it back! You can't tell me one day NYC is not the same without me and then that you're glad I'm not there!" She accused him with a fake exasperation as she took her purse when her phone began to ring.

"Yeah!" She greeted with a sweet tone, nothing like the one she just used with him. "Okay... perfect... thank you, we're coming." She answered as she listened to the other line.

When she hang up he started to talk again. "I take it ba--."

"Too late." Kat interrupted. "Now, let's go before the rain began and I change my mind about bring you with me." She continued her act as he put on her coat.

"Kat-." Chuck tried to talk to her.

"Have you seen my phone?" She interrupted him again.

"Kat?"

"Oh, I've got it in my hand... how stupid!" She continued as she wasn't listening to him.

"Can you-?"

"I think I've got everything... oh! I almost forget! The umbrella..."

"God! Kathryn!" Chuck's tone was exasperated.

"What?" She spat reflecting his mood, but obviously having fun.

"What the hell... How old are you? You're like a child..." Chuck at this point has forgotten why he was trying to talk to her in the first place.

"Seriously? You turns crazy and interrupt me just for that? I think you need a psychiatrist, seriously..." She answered him as they went to the car parking.

"The one who needs it is _you_. Good it's the family profession." He retorted as a dark car parked in front of them with the driver at the lateral could be seen.

"Sure... they're crazier than her patients!" She said amused.

"Perfect for you to follow the lead, don't you think so?" He continued as he thought how have he missed this lights conversations with her since his father's death.

"Please..." Kat rolled her eyes as they stood in front of the driver.

"Miss Kathryn." William, the chauffeur greeted and then turned to Chuck. "Mr Charles, it's very nice to see you again." He said. William was her near the sixties years old personal driver. Every time Chuck and Kathryn had spent time together along their lives he has been always there, even he had to keep his mouth shut more than once when they had begged him not to tell their parents about their crazy things when they were younger.

Chuck smiled at him. "Nice to see you too." He said and extended his hand to greet him properly.

William's eyes were kind and then a flash of sadness passed by them. "By the way, my condolences."

Chuck smiled sadly. "Thank you, it's okay."

Before an uncomfortable silence could settle between them. Kathryn began to talk. "Bill, it's everything arranged?"

"Yes, Miss." The driver answered turning to her.

"Good." Now she was talking to Chuck. "It's three pm, we have a few hours before arrive home. So bring your lustrous Bass ass into the car or we can't arrive to dinner and I will have to eat you alive!" She said with a devil smile pushing Chuck into the car.

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"Blair?" Serena asked as she knocked her door. Silence was the response. "Blair? I know you told Dorota not to let me in, but I'm worried... I just wanted to see you, then I'll go if that's what you want." She continued softly, concern in her voice.

When she didn't catch an answer, Serena move her hand to the knob, she knew perfectly that Blair used to close her door with key if she didn't want to be disturbed, but at least she had to try. She turned the knob and to her surprise the door was open. Serena entered in the room: it was dark even for 9 in the morning, the blinds were down, and there was no Blair to be seen. Although Blair wasn't there, it was an understatement that she had been lying in the bed crying... the bin was full of used handkerchiefs.

Serena wondered where Blair could have gone, however a faint noise answered her questions and made her turn her attention to the bathroom. As she was approaching to the door a shiver run through her spine. She had a bad feeling about what she was about to discover in there. Opening the door she found a disheveled Blair sitting in the floor near the toilet, her knees bent at her chest and her face turned to the side.

"Blair, honey." Serena said running to her. Her fears for Blair had become reality. As she kneeled in front of her, Blair turned her face to Serena. Her cheeks were stained with mascara and her eyes were red and puffy for crying and need of sleep. Serena brushed carefully her cheeks as Blair's eyes focused on hers. "Blair... what did you do to yourself?" She said unable of containing her own tears and then hugged her best friend.

"I'm sorry." Blair responded, her body shaking between sobs. "I'm really sorry."

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A/N: What do you think? Honest opinion is always appreciated! =)


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for take the time to read this fic =)

For all of you who are not registered in this site let you now that is hard to know if you like our fanfics if there is not reviews or messages so... read & register & review xD

Enjoy. Kisses. Molize

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Chapter 3

Chuck stirred a little. He must had fallen asleep after talking with Kathryn a bit about everything. He looked at his watch, it was almost five in the afternoon. They had passed by some little cities and towns, but now they were in the middle of nowhere, so their destination was near, he was sure.

He must have slept for half an hour, but it seemed it had been hours... It happens when you hadn't slept in almost a day added to the drugs and alcohol he had consumed before and after the disaster in the brunch.

He looked at his right where Kathryn lied stretched lazily in the back seat of the car, and immediately she looked at him with a side smile. "Hey, good morning sleepy head."

"Yeah, good morning... or afternoon." He said sardonically while he seated straighter.

"How was your nap?" Now her eyes focused in her mp4 or cellphone, or something like that.

"Great, I needed it... but now my neck is killing me." He said as he rubbed his neck, obviously napping in a car is not the most comfortable thing in the world.

"I know, I hoped seeing your head falling to the floor, your position were not the most comfortable one." She answered laughing a bit. "Here, there's nothing interesting in it." And she gave him what she was reading. What a surprise. _His own phone_.

"Oh, thank you for being responsible for my broken neck and registering my personal things." He stated glaring at her.

"Bah" She rolled her eyes. "You never let your phone at sight. So when you left it on the seat, I was just curious."

"Now you psychoanalyze me?" He eyed her curiously. "Whatever, I eliminated all the messages." Chuck sighed.

"You had a new one about that stupid site."

"Gossip Girl? I wonder what she says..." He opened the phone and read the message.

"Don't worry, the worst part was for me... She talks about me like I were a cheap east european whore." Her face was pure disgust.

Chuck chuckled. "They don't know you, if so she would talk of you like you were an expensive one."

Her stretched leg, that was near his moved (and thanks his reflex were still alive), because she didn't think twice to use it against his face. "How dare you saying that?" She responded in a pitched tone.

"Where's your mood?" Still with her leg catch in his hand.

"Where? Trying to hit your pretty face, ass." She tried to hit him with her other leg and this time she didn't fail.

"Ouch" He sent her his best death glare.

"Yep, now my good mood has returned." Kathryn began to sit up and stared at the window. "Well, we are almost there."

_God, this girl is bipolar_. He looked out the window, and yes, they were almost there. He remembered the little road surrounded by thick trees which lead to her family's country house. He has spent many days around here, especially at Christmas.

His father never was really happy to celebrate any familiar festivity, probably it reminded Bart that they were not a complete one; but when Kathryn still lived in NY, her family always invited them to dinner, it was a tradition, an odd one, because it's not normal spent Christmas with friends but with your own family. However Chuck at his young age didn't know that. He liked that day, his father seemed happier talking about everything with Mr. and Mrs. Karloff and obviously Chuck enjoyed the amazing meal and the company. It was different to an average dinner alone at home with his nanny.

After Kathryn left the US, Chuck knew what it was a real Bass' Christmas. A quiet dinner with his father and a few presents down the Christmas tree the morning after while Bart was working at his office. It turned to be one of the worst days of the year. So when one year she asked him to come to England to spent the holidays there Chuck didn't think twice. He should have felt bad for his father leaving him all alone, but apparently Bart must have dreaded that day as much as Chuck when his only response was "Have fun, Charles.". So that was it, every year since then he came to her country house, until... well... the moment his family expanded with the Van der Woodsen... and Bart died.

She must have read his mind because her next words made him think so. "Last two years... I've missed you at Christmas." She said with a sad smile not looking directly to his eyes.

He remembered when he called her to say that that year due to the new members of his family he would stay at the UES. Plans changed, and he went to Monaco with Nate. With all that was on his mind, he didn't tell her that he was in Europe, which she found soon, and though Kathryn didn't show her anger, their friendship suffered and until yesterday they hadn't talked to each other.

"About Monaco, I'm sorry. I should have told you, you could have came with us." Chuck said touching her arm to make her look at him.

She chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, you know I didn't mind even though I get along SO well with Archibald." She said sarcastically.

Oh, yeah, he remembered pretty well how these two got along. "How could I forget? But as I was saying, it angered you... you didn't talked since then." He responded with a knowing look.

"Neither you called..."

"Calling you when you're mad is a suicide, and you know it."

"Yeah... that's what they say. Anyway, I had a lot in mind, I forgot about it." She said not giving too much importance to the matter.

"A lot in mind? Or someone?" Last time he checked, Kathryn had only eyes to a certain boy... he couldn't say his name aloud... not when William, the driver could hear. But, Chuck knew they went to the same school these past two years, so something good should have happened between these two if they had seen each other all this time.

However, Chuck didn't catch a mischievous grin from her, but a hard look. "The past is the past, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Kat, what did-?" Chuck began to question but William interrupted him.

"We have arrived, miss."

Kathryn didn't waist her opportunity to run away from the apparently awkward conversation and opened the door. Chuck didn't want to press the matter. She has stayed away about talking about his father, Blair or anything like that... it was the least he could do.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't." Chuck stated before she could get out of the car.

"I will appreciate it." She answered. "Come on, they're waiting." She was out the car and was waiting for him to get out.

"Who?" They were now in the entrance of the house. It was a great space with floor covered in stone and a small fountain in the middle of it. Around them there were the trees which had led them to the house, and in front of them the mansion itself. It was enormous, made of white stone... he has been told that it was owned years ago by a duke or something like that, Chuck recognized that man had good taste.

As they walked to the entry, he observed William parking the car next to another car... a silver one. _Who?_ He had a light idea of who was there.

"I thought you were going to spent the week alone here." Chuck said remembering their conversation.

"Exactly, past tense..." The door opened and the old maid greeted them.

"Miss Kathryn... Mister Charles, so nice to see you around here." The maid seemed very happy to see him, because next he felt was a boa constrictor hug. Where did this old maid find his strength it was a mystery.

"Thank you... uhm..."_ What the hell was her name?_ His face must have been a poem, because he could see Kathryn laughing and then mouthing the maid's name. "Thank you, Marta."

"Oww, I want one of those Marta." Kathryn said with puppy eyes as the maid loosed her grip to Chuck. Marta reddened at her comment, obviously this outburst of affection was not very common.

"Oh, sorry." Now she turned to talk to Kathryn. "Mister Soucek and Mister Beaumont are here." The one who turned to look at her now was him. He wanted to know her reaction to said Mister Beaumont name. Luckily for her, in that same moment they came to greet him.

"Look what we have here..." Franz Soucek's voice came from the door. He looked exactly the same. Same white hair, same kind gray eyes...

"Mister Soucek." Chuck smiled at him. "Thank you for the welcoming to your amazing house."

"Oh, please Charles... call me Franz, we know each other for a long time." He said as embraced Chuck in a familiar hug.

"Well, even though you still call me Charles." Chuck said to the old man with the same smile still upon his face.

"Oh, son, your parents gave you a beautiful name as not to use it." Franz answered chuckling and patted his back.

"Then I'm sorry to be the one to destroy your beautiful name, Chuck." Sebastian voice came from his back. Sebastian Beaumont. Chuck turned and could see him in his school uniform.

"Hey, Seb. What's up?" He walked towards him and patted his back. He met Sebastian a few years ago, he was a great guy, he reminded him someway to Nate: he had short dark blond hair and blue/gray eyes, he was a few centimeter taller than him and it matter of strength there was no color even for dear Nathaniel... the guy played boxing. Apparently he was the golden boy of St Patrick too, as Nate was in St Jude's.

"Man, it's really good to see you. You know... everything is fine but it could be better." Chuck observed how Sebastian's eyes averted to the right were Kathryn was. Even as he was the golden boy, he chose to follow a girl who has written in neon 'forbidden'.

"My little Kay! It's been a long time! How are you doing?" Franz's voice captivated his attention as he greeted her with a tight hug which make Kathryn's foot don't touch the ground.

"Granddad. You saw me yesterday." She said giggling. "I'm good... it's great you could make it and came here."

"Kat" Sebastian greeted her. His tone was as he didn't know what to expect about her.

At the sound of his voice Kathryn turned her attention from his grandfather to him as her true smile faltered and became a fake one. "Sebastian..." In her tongue his name sounded cold as ice.

In the meantime Franz was talking to William. "Bring Charles' things to his room, William."

"Of course, sir." William said as he entered the house.

"Charles, I hope you didn't mind but we decided to install you in the room you used to use when you came here..." Franz talked to him.

"What? I love that room, what I hope is not being an inconvenience here."

"Never, son. Come in, you must be worn out" He grabbed Chuck shoulders and they went in the foyer.

·······

Kathryn saw how her grandfather entered the house with Chuck in conversation. Maybe Chuck was worn out but she was really tired nonetheless. She has traveled from her school to London, take a flight to Manchester and then a few hours by car to arrive here. Her legs felt numbed.

As she was going to follow them to the living room, something grabbed her arm firmly. She closed her eyes, when her stomach revolved at his touch. He turned her around softly but she still had her eyes closed.

"We need to talk." Sebastian said, his voice as velvet. _Why did you call him, Kathryn?_ She thought to herself.

Kathryn opened slowly her eyelids and face him. She had to see him everyday at school and when she had a week to go away she called him to come here. _Stupid_. However she didn't look right into his eyes.

"I don't think so... I don't have any intention to talk to you unless is strictly necessary, I don't want anyone to fell suspicious." She answered her almost in a whisper.

"And you think that you unable to look at my eyes isn't suspicious?" His damned chit talk was angering her, if any more was possible. She looked straight to his eyes.

"I'm not unable as you can see, but anytime I look at you I want to purge, so if I can leave the food in my stomach the better, don't you think so?" She replied with a hard tone. "And for your information, _I_ called _you_ because Chuck is _my_ friend, and last time I checked _yours_ too. I know perfectly what he is going trough, and in this moment he needs friends. _Friends_. Not only one person."

Sebastian nodded silently. He lowed his eyes and saw that he still was grabbing her arm. He ran his thumb softly up and down her flesh. How long since the last time he has done that? He sighed. Months. "What did happen to us?" He asked looking at her eyes, still caressing her arm. He saw as her eyes watered a bit and then, as like the previous months, the glare that constricted his heart. Pure hate.

"What did happen to us? What did happen to _us _?" She hissed. "I thought you said that I was the same crazy delusional whore who should be in a mental institution." Her eyes piercing him as he widened his and his hand stopped abruptly. "What?" She asked at his expression. "You don't remember? Because _I_ do, I have it imprinted in my mind." Her eyes were now glistering. "So the question is... what did happened to_ you _?" She finally questioned her face dangerously close to his. She pull back his hand and stormed in the opposite direction to the house.

* * *

A/N: What do you think about it? New characters are here, don't worry I won't leave the old ones alone for a long time. ^^


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